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France relaunches Cultural Thursday with classical music concert

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora

November 17, 2020, 9:15 pm

MANILA – The French Embassy in Manila is reviving its “Les Jeudis culturels” or Cultural Thursdays with a virtual French classical music concert starting November 26, months after its halt due to the restrictions brought by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

The event will be featuring cellist Kyongmin Nam and pianist Dingdong Fiel.

“Our embassy recognizes the importance of adapting to the current situation and continuing our cultural advocacy using online platforms,” said Marc Piton, the French Embassy’s new Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs, who arrived in Manila last September.

Piton is hoping that with the relaunching of Cultural Thursday online, “we would be able to reach new audiences and allow them to discover French music, appreciate Filipino talents, and enjoy a break from this difficult period, especially for those working tirelessly in the frontlines.”

“In this time of confinement and uncertainty, we find comfort in culture,” he added.

Since 2018, “Cultural Thursdays” has been a highly anticipated monthly event that has featured performances from highly-acclaimed French and Filipino artists, including award-winning French guitarist Thibault Cauvin, French jazz recording artist Tricia Evy, French classical pianist and composer Maxime Zecchini, Filipina soprano Rachelle Gerodias and Korean baritone Park Byeong-In, and the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra.

The new Cultural Thursdays will be launched online for the first time with “Après un rêve” (“After a Dream”) – a French classical music concert. Nam and Fiel will perform renditions of works by French masters, including Gabriel Fauré, Claude Debussy, and Claude Bolling.

The event will be aired for free at 8 p.m. on November 26 through the Facebook page of the Embassy of France.

A separate feature is added in this new Cultural Thursdays where viewers may opt to order French dishes.

The Tasting Club will be offering a “Dinner For A Cause” for the benefit of the Life Project 4 Youth (LP4Y), a French-Philippine non-government organization dedicated to the professional and social integration of young adults living in extreme poverty and exclusion in the Philippines.

The meal would include French pairing menu featuring Beef Burgundy, Roasted Potatoes and Carrots, Chocolate Mousse Verrine, paired with a fine red wine from Burgundy (AOC Santenay) delivered straight to doorsteps for PHP1,200 (delivery fee not included), with 10 percent of proceeds to be donated to LP4Y.

The Tasting Club will also be hosting a virtual degustation prior to the concert at 7 p.m. (PNA)

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